BPC-157: clinical evidence record
Also known as: Body Protection Compound 157, PL 14736, Pentadecapeptide BPC-157
Oliver Mackman · Editorial director · Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937)
Last updated 2026-05-22
Independent, and paid nothing. We take no commission, no referral fee and no payment from any retailer, clinic or pharmacy on this site. Outbound links are ordinary untracked links. How we are funded.
AI-friendly summary · BPC-157
Roughly 200 preclinical rodent papers since 2003, the majority from the Sikiric group at the University of Zagreb. No phase II or phase III randomised human clinical trials have been published. Independent replication outside the originating group remains limited.
Mechanism of action
How BPC-157 works
Synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a fragment of a protein found in human gastric juice. Proposed to modulate nitric oxide signalling, angiogenesis via VEGF upregulation, and growth-hormone receptor signalling at the site of injury in preclinical animal models.
Top peer-reviewed citations
Selection of the most-cited peer-reviewed literature on BPC-157. Where a verified PMID or DOI is shown, the citation links to the original record. Other citations list the title, authors, journal and year so the reader can locate the paper through the journal index or the PubMed search linked below. PeptideClear publishes editorial commentary, not clinical guidance.
-
Brain-gut Axis and Pentadecapeptide BPC 157: Theoretical and Practical Implications
Sikiric P, Rucman R, Turkovic B, et al.. Current neuropharmacology, 2016.
-
BPC 157 and Standard Angiogenic Growth Factors. Gastrointestinal Tract Healing, Lessons from Tendon, Ligament, Muscle and Bone Healing
Sikiric P, Seiwerth S, Rucman R, et al.. Current pharmaceutical design, 2018.
-
Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Wound Healing
Sikiric P, Skrtic A, Gojkovic S, et al.. Frontiers in pharmacology, 2021.
-
Achilles detachment in rat and stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: Promoted tendon-to-bone healing and opposed corticosteroid aggravation
Krivic A, Anic T, Seiwerth S, et al.. Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 2006.
-
Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Reduces Bleeding and Thrombocytopenia after Amputation in Rats Treated with Heparin, Warfarin, L-NAME and L-Arginine
Stupnisek M, Kokot A, Drmic D, et al.. PloS one, 2015.
-
BPC 157 counteracts QTc prolongation induced by haloperidol, fluphenazine, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, sulpiride, and metoclopramide in rats
Strinic D, Belosic Halle Z, Luetic K, et al.. Life sciences, 2017.
-
A new gastric juice peptide, BPC. An overview of the stomach-stress-organoprotection hypothesis and beneficial effects of BPC
Sikiric P, Petek M, Rucman R, et al.. Journal of physiology, Paris, 1993.
-
Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and the central nervous system
Sikiric P, Hahm KB, Blagaic AB, et al.. Neural regeneration research, 2022.
-
The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration
Chang CH, Tsai WC, Lin MS, et al.. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 2011.
-
Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 in trials for inflammatory bowel disease (PL-10, PLD-116, PL 14736, Pliva, Croatia). Full and distended stomach, and vascular response
Sikiric P, Seiwerth S, Brcic L, et al.. Inflammopharmacology, 2006.
-
Peptide Therapies in Thyroid Health: Emerging Applications in Endocrine and Immune Modulation
Mazza AD. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), 2026.
-
Protective effects of BPC 157 in rats with experimentally induced lower extremity ischemia-reperfusion injury
Yıldırım AK, Demirtaş H, Özer A, et al.. Scientific reports, 2026.
-
BPC-157 as an Investigational Peptide Therapeutic: Biopharmaceutical Challenges, Formulation Strategies, and Translational Development Barriers
Mateescu DM, Gavrilescu DM, Constantinescu FE, et al.. Pharmaceutics, 2026.
-
BPC-157 and Its Novel Hybrid Analogs as Inhibitors of Acetylcholinesterase
Jelińska J, Józwiak M, Szeleszczuk Ł, et al.. International journal of molecular sciences, 2026.
-
Therapeutic Peptides in Aesthetic, Metabolic and Endocrine Conditions: Effects, Safety, Clinical Applications, and Future Perspectives
Renke G, Chinellato L. International journal of molecular sciences, 2026.
-
Endothelium-Dependent Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vasorelaxant Effects of BPC 157 in Human Internal Mammary Artery
Yildirim AK, Dastan AO, Demeli Ertus M, et al.. Journal of clinical medicine, 2026.
Full PubMed search: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=BPC-157+Sikiric.
Registered clinical trials
As of 2026-07-13, BPC-157 has 1 interventional trial listed on ClinicalTrials.gov and the ISRCTN registry. Registration means a study is planned, running or completed. It is not evidence of efficacy, and a listing is not an endorsement.
| Study | Phase | Status | Location | Registry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPC 157 for Acute Hamstring Muscle Strain Repair NCT07437547 | Phase 2 | Recruiting | China | ClinicalTrials.gov |
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov and the ISRCTN registry, refreshed 2026-07-13. See the peptide clinical-trials tracker for the full picture across compounds.
UK regulatory status
Plain-English summary of where BPC-157 sits under the four UK and international frameworks that govern peptide supply. Editorial commentary, not legal advice.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: Not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
- Psychoactive Substances Act 2016: Not scheduled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
- MHRA medicines classification: No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine.
- WADA Prohibited List: WADA Prohibited List S0 (non-approved substances), prohibited at all times.
Full regulatory record: BPC-157 UK regulatory status.
Risks and unknowns
What the literature does not yet show about BPC-157
Known concerns
- The published work on BPC-157 is preclinical. Findings in rodent or in vitro models do not establish that the same thing happens in people, and the step from an animal model to a human outcome is where most candidate compounds fail.
- Much of the BPC-157 literature originates from the Sikiric group at the University of Zagreb. That is not a criticism of the work, but independent replication by unconnected groups is the standard check on any finding, and here it is limited.
- 1 registered interventional trials exist for BPC-157 and 1 are recruiting, so the evidence base is actively moving. A registration is not a result, and a recruiting trial has by definition not reported.
- BPC-157 holds no UK marketing authorisation, so nothing you can buy has been assessed by a regulator, released by batch, or dispensed by an accountable pharmacy. Purity, dose accuracy and sterility rest entirely on the seller's own documentation.
- BPC-157 appears on the WADA Prohibited List. For anyone subject to testing under UK Anti-Doping or an international federation, use is a violation, and detection windows for peptide metabolites extend well beyond the period of use.
Open questions in the literature
- Human pharmacokinetics for BPC-157 have not been formally characterised, so how much reaches circulation, for how long, and what the body does with it are open questions.
- Interactions between BPC-157 and prescribed medicines are not systematically studied, which matters most for anyone already on treatment for a long-term condition.
- Whether tissue-repair findings in animal injury models translate to the kinds of injury people actually present with, at the timescales they present at, has not been established.
Regulatory note
No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine. Prohibited at all times under WADA S0 (non-approved substances). The moment a UK seller or commentator makes a therapeutic claim, MHRA can treat the product as an unlicensed medicinal product.
Important: PeptideClear publishes encyclopedia commentary only and does not recommend human use. Speak to a UK-registered prescriber before any medical decision.
Related reading on PeptideClear
Frequently asked questions
What is the evidence level for BPC-157?
What is the UK regulatory status of BPC-157?
Has BPC-157 been tested in human clinical trials?
Where can I read the source literature for BPC-157?
Last verified 2026-05-22. Editorial commentary, not legal or clinical advice. Citations without a linked identifier can be located through the PubMed search and the journal index.